I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have taken to locking them outside the room like noisy pets.

At some point you’ll have to get serious about life.

When I was an actor, I worked with lots of men who had a bit of success early on, who were very good looking, who suddenly made a bit of money and who felt no embarrassment - and nor should they have done - about having a good time.

If you have to keep a secret it's because you shouldn't be doing it in the first place

My 20s was a sea of worry. I worried about benefit forms, about being thrown out of my flat. I never went on holiday because I thought: 'What if an audition comes up?' I was a nervous wreck.

It's hard to overestimate the teenage appetite for high drama.

Imagine staying awake all night not because you're worried about the future but because it's FUN